Insecurities
by vogelimkafig120
Summary: On the day before her Island Challenge, Rose feels doubtful that she could live up to her parents' expectations, or at least hers. Set 23 years after Ultra Sun and Moon.


**Hello everyone! I apologize for the wait, and this isn't the long shot that I was talking about. Personal stuff has kept me busy, and the long shot is still in the works. I've also bought another copy of Ultra Sun so that I can play it in Japanese. Just to clarify, Rose is 11 years old while Ren and Eliana are 4 years old. As always, enjoy! ^_^**

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"Bag, check. Poké Balls, check." Rose took account as she was in her room. Tomorrow would be the start of her Island Challenge, just like what her parents had done when they were her age. She would receive her Starter Pokémon, as well as a ceremony on that day. Needless to say, Rose was nervous.

"Thank you, aunt Selene." Rose thanked to herself as she fiddled with a set of clothes that her aunt had gifted to her.

Since Rose couldn't bring everything on her journey, she needed to carefully ration as to what items of importance would benefit her. However, there was a crippling thought in Rose's mind that she'd fail her Island Challenge. Her parents, along with Ren and Eliana were counting on her, and if she couldn't fulfill her promise to them, then she'd be a disappointment.

Her father Sun was the Alola region's first ever Pokémon League Champion and continued to reign on for years until her birth, whereas her mother had completed her Island Challenge and was also the President of the Aether Foundation due to her grandmother Lusamine resigning because of old age. Because of those accolades, Rose had put high expectations on herself to be on par with her parents because if they could do it, then so could she.

"Do I really have what it takes?" Rose began to doubt herself as tears began to cascade down her face. She wiped the tears off of her face until she heard a knock from her door.

"Rosie! We wanna enter!" Ren's voice was heard from the other side of Rose's door.

"Pretty please?!" Eliana had also said, holding a folded piece of paper.

Rose's expression shot up as she scrambled herself to hide her saddened state. "Gimme a sec, please."

Once Rose had set her belongings aside, she proceeded to let her siblings inside her room.

"What you do the both of you need?" Rose had asked them as she closed the door.

"We just want to give you good luck!" Eliana answered to her sister, with Ren nodding along afterwards.

"Yeah! The Island Challenge is going to be lots of fun!" Ren quipped in delight, which had Rose a bit pessimistic.

"I mean, I guess so." Rose replied, feeling burdened by her thoughts.

Ren and Eliana noticed that Rose was feeling odd, and so, they decided to press on the matter.

"Are you okay, Rose?" Eliana asked out of concern.

Rose simply nodded her head to assure her siblings that she was fine. "I'm okay, Ellie."

However, Ren wasn't buying his older sister's answer. "You're lying, Rosie."

"Look, I'm fine, Ren!" Rose snapped at her brother, causing him to stumble behind in shock.

Regaining her senses, Rose realized that she made Ren upset. Eliana stood by her brother's side to comfort him.

"Ren, I-I didn't m-mean to." Rose choked. She then sat on her bed in order to reflect on her actions.

"Do you hate us?" Eliana asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry for making you mad, Rosie." Ren apologized to his older sister.

Rose shook her head in defiance to her brother's statement. It wasn't his fault for making her upset, but she wasn't sure if she couldn't explain it well to her siblings.

"No, no. You and Ellie did nothing wrong." Rose had reasoned to them as she formed a dejected expression.

"Then, why are you sad?" Eliana questioned her older sister, still clutching on to the piece of paper.

With a sigh, Rose prepared herself to explain her doubts to her brother and sister.

"You see, I've been worried about the Island Challenge. I know, it's silly to fret about but as the eldest child, I must be as good as mom and dad." Rose revealed.

The twins didn't bother to say anything in order to allow Rose to explain herself even further.

"So, because of that, I have set high expectations on myself. If I were to fail the Island Challenge, then I'd let all of you down." Rose continued on as her tears welled again.

"But you've never let us down." Eliana countered as she and Ren drew themselves closer to their older sister, but the latter stopped them from doing so.

"I just want to show you guys that I can do it, too! Dad had not only finished his Island Challenge but he also became the Champion of Alola! Mom did hers, and while she didn't become a Champion, she proved herself to be a powerful Pokémon Trainer!" Rose cried as she rested on her bed, obscuring her eyes with her arm.

Ren and Eliana could not believe what they were seeing. They never knew just how troubled their older sister was in regards to her upcoming Island Challenge. The twins would seek guidance from Rose, but it looked like that it was her who needed support the most.

Before Ren and Eliana could make an attempt at comforting Rose, they heard the door open.

"Is everything okay?" Sun spoke as he and Lillie entered Rose's room.

"Rose?" Lillie called out with a worried look on her face.

The couple immediately sat beside Rose as she still laid flat on the bed. Rose had refused to look at her parents due to shame.

"We came by because we heard some distress. Please, tell us what's going on?" Sun had gently asked his daughter.

Giving in, Rose raised herself up to a sitting position on the bed as she wiped the tears with her forearm.

"Don't worry, we're not mad at you, sweetie." Lillie reassured her daughter.

"You should be." Rose had mumbled, which Sun quickly caught on.

"Why would you think that way? We could never hate you, Rose." Sun countered.

"I-I'm the eldest child o-of world renowned Pokémon Trainers, and so, I want the same experience as what you and mom have encountered when you were kids. The fun, adventure, and accomplishments. I can't just come back home as a failure." Rose had confessed to her parents.

After the last statement, Sun and Lillie enveloped Lillie in a loving hug to comfort her. The mother and father felt terrible for indirectly causing their older daughter such distress. They should've know that their feats would induce Rose to overdo herself.

"Rose, we could never cast you aside if you were to not finish your Island Challenge. It's more than just completing it. It's also a way to understand important values in life that your father and I had incorporated." Lillie had explained.

"That's right," Sun had agreed to Lillie's notion as he gently patted Rose's back, "what we want from you is to have fun in your Island Challenge, even if it isn't the same experience as ours."

"No matter the outcome of your journey, we will always welcome you with open arms. I just want you to know that, Rose." Lillie added.

Touched by her mother and father's words, Rose embraced her mother in a tight hug, sobbing along the way. Sun simply gestured for Ren and Eliana to comfort their older sister.

"I'm s-sorry for feeling that way." Rose stuttered as she tried to control her crying.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, sweetie." Lillie told her.

"We just don't want you to think too hard on yourself, is all." Sun had said, which led to Rose nodding in response.

"Ok," Rose muttered as she released herself from her mother's hold, "I'm sorry, Ren and Ellie."

Ren and Eliana had huddled in front of Rose with a smile on their faces.

"It's okay, Rosie." Ren responded.

"We wanted to give you this. Ren and I drew it for you." Eliana said as she handed Rose the folded piece of paper.

Rose accepted the offering, and once she unfolded it, she was confused by the result. "Is that-"

"Yeah," Ren had interrupted Rose, "it's a good luck charm."

"That way, we're always by your side." Eliana added.

The good luck charm in question was a doodle of Sun, Lillie, Rose, Ren, Eliana, and Nebby all together with smiles on their faces. Though the drawing was simple, it had an effect on Rose because of how much effort her siblings had put into her gift.

"Thank you, Ren and Ellie." Rose replied as tears of joyous flowed down her face.

"Of course!" Ren and Eliana shouted in unison.

"See? You have our unwavering support, Rose." Lillie reassured her oldest daughter, kissing her on the forehead.

"And I know that you'll have an awesome time on your journey, truly." Sun stated with a grin on his face.

"Right." Rose simply replied as she gazed at the drawing.

Rose knew that her insecurities wouldn't just fade away in one day, and time would tell when it'd fully diminish from her. However, with the love and support from her parents and siblings, she would take on the Island Challenge with her head held high. She wouldn't dare to waste that opportunity.


End file.
